Potato screening and sorting machine.



T. S. HARRIS &1. P. MORGAN.

POTATO SCREENING AND SORTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED BECA-1. 1914.

Patented Nov. v23, v.1915.

THOMAS SANDERS HARRIS ND JOSEPH PENELL-MORGN, 0F ELDRIJDGE, TMS.

POTATO SCREENING AND SORTIN G MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 23, i915..

Application led December 14, 1914. Serial No. 877,255.

T0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, 'llHoMAs SANDERSk HARRIS and JOSEPH PENELL MORGAN, citizens of the United States, residing at Eldridge, in the county of Colorado and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Potato Screening and Sorting Machines; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to potato screening and sorting machines, and has for one of its objects the provision of a machine of this character, which is simple in construction, efiicient in operation, and which can be man ufactured at a nominal cost.

A further object of this invention resides in the provision of a machine for efficiently screening and sorting potatoes, and-which delivers the smaller/potatoes at the side of the machine, while the larger potatoes are delivered at either end of the machine as desired, thereby facilitating the operation of the machine.

A still further object of this invention resides in the provision of a screening and.

sorting machine, provided with means for tilting the upper screen member in elther direction as desired, for discharging the contents thereof into a sack suspended at either end of the machine, to provide for the continuous and uninterrupted operation of the machine. And a still further object of this invention resides in providing the ends of the upper screen member with doors, provided with means for automatically opening the same upon the tilting of the screen member to provide for the discharge of the contents thereof from either end, the doors closing by gravity upon the return of the screen member to horizontal position.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be hereinafter more clearly set forth in the specification, defined in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a vertical perspective view of the entire machine. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same as it appears in dumping operation. Fig. 3 is an end view, showing the manner of mounting the upper screen frame in the .swinging devices. Fig. 4: is a erspective view of one of the doors detached from the upper screen frame, showing the means employed. for pvotally mounting the doors at t e ends of the screen frame, and also for automatically opening the doors.

Referring to the drawings, the machine conslsts of a stand or frame built upon the four legs or corner posts A, at the upper ends of which are secured the top rails B, havlng their ends projecting outwardly beyond the corner posts A so as to allow space thereunder for hanging sacks u on the hooks B upon the ends of the rails Une-half way down the corner posts A are secured the slde ralls C, and also secured near the botA tom ends of the corner posts A are the side rails D.

The sides of the frame are connected to- .gether at the top and the bottom by the end rails E, and beginning at each of the upper end rails, and extending inwardly and downwardly for approximately one-third of the length of the frame, are the small. mesh screens F. The screens F sift the dirt from the smaller potatoes and direct the potatoes toward the center of the frame where they are deposited upon another screen G of larger mesh than the screens F, and which is sloped downwardly and laterally of the frame so as to direct the smaller potatoes into a sack which is hung upon the hooks G arranged on the end of the screen G at the side of the frame.

At each side of the frame, and substantially one-third of the distance from each end thereof, are mounted two vertical sliding standards H, which are arranged directly opposite eachother, makinga total of 'four standards,'and are connected'together in pairs at their centers by the cross bars I, which normally rest upon the side rails C.

The standards H are held in operative position `upon the side rails B and C by the guides J. The top of the standards H project above the side rails vB and have mounted therein the upper swinging screen frame K through the medium of two'substantially U- shapedv iron rods L, which are pvotally mounted in the upper ends of the posts H and adapted to swing backward and forward. The screen frame K is provided with the screen K', which is of larger mesh than the screen F and G, for separating the larger potatoes from the smaller potatoes.

Upon each side of the screen frame K is secured a small block M adapted to bump against the slidin standards H thus giving the screen frame a sudden stop so as to -thoroughly screen the potatoes.

Positioned at the bottom of the frame, at each endthereof, are the foot levers N, which have their central portions bent to provide shafts pivotally mounted upon the side 'rails D, and the center rails O, through the medium of the bearings P upwardly, thereby lifting one end of the screen frame K, and at the same time lowering the other end thereof, in the manner shown in Fig. 2.

The screen frame K is provided at its ends with the doors R, provided with the small Y iron rods S, provided with the eyes S for pivotally attaching the doors R to the inner Vsides of the screen frame K. The rods S are bent toextend downwardly over the faces of the doors and are fastened thereto by the use f the wood screws T, and continue downwardly therefrom below the doors R andare bent outwardly and then inwardly, providing the` feet U, which almost touch the upper rails of the frame, so that, when one end of the screen frame K is lowered, the feet U of the rods S engage the upper rails of the frame and forces the respective door R to open, thus'allowing the potatoes to pour into one of the open bottom troughs or spouts V, formed in the projected ends of the top rails B, and thence into a sack suspended beneath the trough or spout V upon the hooks B. When either of the levers N is released, the screen frame K will return to its normal horizontal position, and the doors R will close, by gravity. Upon the outer sides of the screen frame K are provided thehandles W for reciprocating the frame.

.In operation, the potatoes are poured into the upper screen 'frame K, and the person or persons operating the machine grasps the handles W and reciprocates the frame K rapidly back and forth in the swinging rods L, with the blocks M striking against the standards H at each side thereof to cause a sudden jarring. of the frame K to facilitate the screening of the potatoes. During this movement of the frame K, the larger potatoes are separated from the smaller potatoes and dirt, the screen K being of suicient size mesh to accomplish this result. The smaller potatoes and the dirt then fall upon the sloping screens F and G, which are formed of a mesh sufliciently small to se arate the smaller potatoes from the dirt,

` which latter falls 'to the ground or floor, thesmaller potatoes being directed by the slopend of the screen G where the smaller potatoes are delivered into a sack hung upon the hooks G thereat." When this step in the screening operation has been completed, the operator presses the outer end of one of the levers N downwardly with his foot, which rocks the lever N in the bearings P and elevates the inner end of the lever, which through the medium Qf the connecting'rod Q and theY cross bar I connecting one pair of the standards H, lifts these standards upwardly to elevate one end ofthe frame K and thus lower the opposite endthereof, the rod L of the other pair of the standards H acting as anpivot, whereby the feet U of the rods S, which are secured to the door R at the lowered end of the frame, will contact with the upper rails of the machine and automaticallyopen the door R, and the larger potatoes in the frame K are now discharged into the adjacent spout V, and into the sack hung upon the hooks B therebeneath. This operation may' le successively repeated as long as desired, and without interruptions, in view of the fact, that when a bag at one end of the machine is filled with the larger potatoes,the operator manipulates the opposite lever N for tilting the frame K in the opposite direction for filling a bag at the other end of the machine, while the first bag is being removed and replaced by an empty bag, whereby the operation is continual.

We are aware that there are other potato screening and sorting machines made, but we do not believe there is any machine more thoroughly constructed so as to suit the demand of the grower and shipper as our machine. First, for its absolute screening; second, for .its speedy and convenient dumping device;third, for its lightness in weight, thus enabling the machine to be moved as desired, by one or two men.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a vegetable separator, the combina tion with a supporting frame, of a stationary frame arranged upon said supporting frame, sliding standards arranged upon said supporting frame, a movable frame arranged upon said sliding standards above said stationary frame, and means for actuating said sliding standards for tilting said movable frame in either direction for dischrging the contents thereof from either en 2. In a vegetable separator, the combination with a supporting frame, of a stationary frame arranged upon said supporting frame, sliding standards arranged upon said supporting frame,a movable frame arranged upon said sliding standards above said stationary frame, means for actuating said sliding standards for tilting said movable frame infeither directiony for dischargfe. ing the contents thereof from'either end, andf, automatically operable f doors pivotally mounted. in the ends of said movable frame.

3. In a vegetable separator, the combina'- tion with a supporting frame, of` a stationary framearranged upon said vsupporting frame, slidingrstandards 'arranged uponsaidame, a movable `frame=far supporting ranged upon said sliding g standards above said stationary frame, meansfor actuating said sliding standards for'tilting said mov.

able frame' in either direction fori,disehfar'g-f4 ing the contents thereof from eitherfend, au-

tomatically operable doors pivotally mounts ed in the ends'vof said movable frame, and;

means within said stationary yframe for' dis: charging the contents at one side thereof.

t. lln a vegetable separator, the combination with a. supporting frame, a stationary upon said supporting frame,

frame arrange the side rails offsaid stationary frame 'projecting'outwardlyfbeyond the ends of'sai'd supporting-rframe, spouts arranged in the r:projeeting ends of said side rails, means upon said-sspouts for suspending a sack '-therebeneath, ,means Within said stationary frame for discharging its contents at one side thereof, means for suspending a sack thereat, a plurality of standards slidably mountedupon said supporting frame, swinging rods pivotally `mounted in the upper ends of said 'standards,' a movable frame mounted in said swinging rods above said stationary frame, automatically operable doors pivotally mounted in the ends of said movable frame, and means Within said supporting ramexfor. actuating said standards for tilting said movable frame .in either direction and to automatically open one of s aid doors'for discharging the contents of said movable frame in the adjacent spout. 

